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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24273598">Broken</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexHudson/pseuds/LexHudson'>LexHudson</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Motherland: Fort Salem (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/F, Just a quick drabble, This is just pure angst, brief mention of torture, but its not explicit, sorry but there is no happy ending, to ease the pain in my heart lol</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:20:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,654</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24273598</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexHudson/pseuds/LexHudson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Set during 1x09. </p>
<p>Scylla's sessions with Anacostia and her final encounter with Raelle.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Raelle Collar/Scylla Ramshorn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Broken</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I am pretty new to this fandom, and it has been ages since I posted anything, but I love this show. I wanted to explore more Scylla's reactions to both her conversation with Anacostia and the encounter she has with Raelle. It's not much but I wanted to dive in a bit more to Scylla being sarcastic to cover up the fact that she is pretty scared but also to shine some kind of light on what she is feeling, and how hurt she is with Raelle's words. I don't know it just came to me, so I hope you guys like it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“How come you have time to sit with me all day?” Scylla’s smug voice echoed throughout the dark room. Anacostia leaned forward resting her elbows on her knees, keeping her eyes from the prisoner. The chains holding Scylla down rattled as the girl continued to twitch, waiting for an answer.  </p>
<p>“You’re my priority,” Anacostia replied with a sigh, finally meeting the eyes of the young girl. Quatermaine did not want to be here. Her students needed her and yet she was stuck in a dank, dark dungeon questioning someone whose hubris was going to get her killed. </p>
<p>“Lucky me,” came the quick retort coupled with a smug smile. Scylla knew that they would continue to question to her. She knew that it was going to get worse, but she couldn’t let them break her spirit. Her heart may have been broken, but she will keep her dignity, even if it killed her. “I like what you’ve done to the place,” she said as leaned forward as much as her chains allowed. “It’s kind of medieval,” a quick pause. “I confess!” She shrieked suddenly, her face twisting into faux pain and her voice full of bravado. “I am a witch!”  </p>
<p>Anacostia was not pleased. Her face didn’t change and she didn’t so much as wince at Scylla who in turn began to chuckle. With a shake of her head, Anacostia leaned back and observed Scylla. She couldn’t understand. She couldn’t understand how somebody so young got mixed up in something so horrible. The Spree were responsible for so many deaths and to think that this girl was somehow a part of it, boggled Anacostia. </p>
<p>“What’s it like?” She asked suddenly, to which Scylla’s head twitch, her mouth nearly turning into the smug smile that Anacostia loathed. “Ending thousands of people?” She watched with a little bit of satisfaction Scylla’s smile dimmed some.  </p>
<p>“Did you know,” Scylla began after a moment’s pause, “that in Germany, in 1761, 611 witches were burned alive?” </p>
<p>“That’s not the same.” Anacostia quickly replied, shaking her head, waiting for her to get to the point. </p>
<p>Scylla continued as if she didn’t hear her. She was lost in her thoughts. Her mind replaying the horrors she had seen, the horrors she had done. “These people were dragged from their homes. Children too.” Another pause. “And even last year a witch was burned...”, she choked out. </p>
<p>Anacostia cut her off quickly. Too quickly, Scylla noted. “Alder wants to send you to our prison in the Caribbean.” </p>
<p>Scylla’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and tried not to let her lip tremble. “That sounds nice, although I do tend to burn.” Scylla desperately tried to keep her voice from quivering, tried to keep the smugness in it, but by the way Anacostia eyed her, she knew the other could hear it. This was it then. They were going to lock up her. Never allow her to see the light of day again. It was no less than she deserved, after everything she had done. Still though, that prospect nearly paralyzed her with fear. “Then how come I’m still here?” <i>How come I am still alive?</i> That’s what she really wanted to know. Scylla tried not to give them anything, but her captors knew how to break her, how to break her mind. Why did they want to keep her alive? Why not just kill her right here, and be done with it?  </p>
<p>Anacostia took a deep breath, looking to the ceiling to compose herself. At the end of the day, her general was torturing a teenager. She never agreed to the methods they were using, she never agreed to...this. After the order came from Adler that Scylla was to be transferred, Anacostia knew that her window was closing. She wanted to show the general that this girl could be saved. That a death sentence wasn’t necessary, but those remarks fell to deaf ears. Adler needed a scapegoat. The general needed to show the world that she was still in power, even if that meant killing a teenage. “I want to know how someone gets to be you.” Anacostia replied in an almost defeated tone. A part of her knew it would be useless, that Scylla would give her a pretty little smile and deflect, but she still had to try.  </p>
<p>“Lots of practice.” Scylla knew she was pusing the commanding officer’s buttons by the tension in her jaw. What was she supposed to do? Give them her life story? Have them twist it? Use it to break her further? It would have been for naught, though. Adler wanted to ship her off, so telling Anacostia anything would just be rubbing salt in the gaping wound. If she was going to die, all she wanted was one thing. “Let me see Raelle one more time,” came the desperate request. <i>Please.</i></p>
<p>Anacostia couldn’t help the laugh that spilled out of her. “Why would I do that?” She couldn’t believe the audacity. Hadn’t Ramshorn done enough to the poor girl? It would be easier on both of them if they didn’t see each other again. A clean break. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Scylla. The girl’s lips trembled as she bit down on them, as blue eyes tried to conceal the tears that were forming.  </p>
<p>Scylla’s back was stiff. This was one request that she wanted, that she believed she deserved to have. “I gave you Baylord.” A pause. “Or should I say you took it,” she spat through her teeth. “Now give me something.” Scylla again pleaded. Bargaining. Tit for tat. What did she have to lose? Her life? That was already gone. Her heart? That was already broken. But Scylla was nothing short of a masochist. If she was going to die, she wanted to die with bright blue eyes, blonde hair and a smile that could light up the world be her last thoughts. </p>
<p>“Do you have any idea what I would risk by doing that?” Anacostia whispered. She would be going against direct orders from the general. The term court marshalled sprouted up at the thought. No. Why should she help a Spree? Why would she help her enemy dig their claws further into one of her cadets?  </p>
<p>“If you give me this,” Scylla began, staring directly into Anacostia’s eyes, “I’ll tell you all about the horrible things that made me who I am.” Anacostia watched Scylla hang her head. All of the previous bravado, and fight had left her and she finally looked her age. She finally looked like a young girl, who was just handed a death sentence. Scared. “Please.” </p>
<p>What was it about Collar than Ramshorn wanted? Because what she had just witnessed wasn’t some agent of death wanting to ruin a young, powerful witch. No. From the broken tone that Anacostia heard in that last plead, she knew. She had to bring Raelle here. In her mind, Anacostia believed that it was for closure for the girls, but she knew it was something else. She had watched Raelle self-destruct in the past few weeks. Her cadet was on a steady decline and it could lead to something dark and unyielding. But having been sat with Ramshorn, Anacostia saw something inside the girl as well. Anacostia said nothing but quickly stood and left, leaving Scylla alone. </p>
<p>Tears fell freely down her cheeks as the door to her ‘cell’ was slammed shut. She knew that she could thrash against the chains or scream until her vocal cords were ripped, but it would be for nothing. Scylla played her last hand, hopping to bargain her confession or whatever they wanted, just to see Raelle again. She had to see her, even if it was for the last time.  </p>
<p>Scylla knew she fucked up. That much was blatantly obvious. She knew she was rightly to blame for being the cause of so many deaths and even getting tangled up in something as dark as the Spree. But she didn’t want her darkness to taint Raelle. Raelle was light, so bright and so unwavering, but Scylla, she was darkness. Everything she touched turned to rot.  </p>
<p>It was supposed to be easy. Find her mark, get mark to trust her, then deliver. That is what they told her, that it would be an easy mission. But everything changed, so quick and so fast that Scylla had a hard time distinguishing when Raelle stopped being her mark. If she really thought about it, she knew when it happened. During Beltane, when Raelle pleaded for honesty, something changed. At least for Scylla. Watching the tears fill those pretty blue eyes and hearing the pain crack her voice, Scylla felt something inside of her nearly break. The gentle reassurances from Raelle filled those tiny cracks. Her unwavering support sprouted something deep within the pit of Scylla’s soul. Raelle was like a breath of fresh air for Scylla and all Scylla wanted to do was breath her in.  </p>
<p>The tears kept flowing as her thoughts lingered on each memory the pair had shared. How open and trusting Raelle had been. How much Scylla deceived her. Was she even worthy of Raelle’s love now? Was she ever worthy of her love? A dark thought broke through, like a weed in a garden, growing untamed and wild. Was Scylla ever worth of anybody’s love? Did her parents even love her? Making her run under the guise of protection? The Spree never loved her. She was just a tool, easily manipulated. Her thoughts ran back and forth, giving her glimpses of something beautiful mixed in with the trauma of her past. </p>
<p>Life had been hard for Scylla Ramshorn. She had fought so many difficult battles, externally and within herself. But the only thing she was completely and utterly sure about was her love for Raelle. And that love has given Scylla something that the Spree never gave her, a home.  </p>
<p>Hours had passed, at least that is what Syclla had believed. The passage of time in her cell was nonexistent. She watched with surprise as the girl she loved walked through. Her mouth turned up to a smile, a simple knee jerk reaction whenever Raelle was around but quickly died. While Raelle had stepped into the room, her eyes lingered everywhere but Scylla. Her face, usually shining bright with happiness, was downturned. The bags under Raelle’s eyes were blatant even from the distance she was from Scylla.  </p>
<p>When blue eyes finally met hers, Scylla felt a pain right in her chest. Raelle’s eyes were full of anger and dare she say it, hate. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She was supposed to explain it to Raelle, but Scylla was too late.  </p>
<p>“You believed everything they said about me.” Her voice was small, and almost full of disbelief. Her heart was breaking, again. How could she explain herself now? How could Raelle believe her?  </p>
<p>“I loved you.” Raelle spat, the past tense causing Scylla’s eyes to fill with tears. Raelle looked past her, taking shuddering breaths to keep herself together.  </p>
<p>“I <i>still</i> love you.” Scylla declared as she pushed herself causing the chains to go taut, watching the words hit Raelle as the girl shook her head, clenching her jaw.  </p>
<p>“I know about Helen.” Raelle started. Scylla’s eyes closed and her shoulders dropped. Fuck. She had been too careless, too stupid. The hole Scylla had dug herself in kept getting deeper and deeper and she was suffocating. “Have you done that to me before?” Raelle asked through clenched teeth, her eyes blazing with fury. </p>
<p>“No!” Her eyes shot open, pleading with Raelle to believe her.  “Never. I messed up. There’s no excuse.” She implored Raelle to keep listening, to know that she was telling the truth. “I...,” her voice dropped to a near whisper, “I was scared.” </p>
<p>Raelle scoffed, taking a step forward, her anger unchecked “Scared of losing your mark?” She spat, causing Scylla to shrink in herself a bit.  </p>
<p>“It started like that, but...” Scylla took a deep breath, to almost compose herself, then she fixed her gaze directly at Raelle, hoping that the other girl would listen to her. “Then you were you and I fell for you.” Scylla gave her a small smile but Raelle shook her head. “I promise,” Scylla choked out, “I promise I’m telling the truth.” </p>
<p>Scylla watched as tears fell down Raelle’s cheek. Her anger was justified, Scylla knew, she just wanted Raelle to...understand. She wanted Raelle to...believe in her. “Was anything real? <i>Any</i> of it?” </p>
<p>“All of it.” Came the quick reply, and Raelle let out a wet laugh of disbelief. “Raelle, you got to believe me.” She tried again. If her heart wasn’t already broken, it would be in a million shattered pieces now. Every memory Raelle had with her had been tainted. She was not willing to listen to Scylla. “I have nothing to gain by telling you this. I...” Her voice cracked. The realization hit her that time was running out. Her time with Raelle was running out. Scylla never expected for Raelle to forgive her, but she was scared. She was scared and all she wanted was the girl she loves. “They’re shipping me off to die.” </p>
<p>Raelle watched her. Watched her squirm in the chair, tears flowing freely down her face. “Well, we all go sometime.” Her voice was a monotone as she gave Scylla her back, making her way towards the door, but not without missing the shattered look that Scylla gave her. Raelle was so angry. She was so hurt. Why her? Why did this had to happen to her? Her hand stopped the knock that was about to come before turning her fury back on the chained girl. “Why did you pick me?” She nearly screamed, her fury moving her closer to Scylla whose head shot up at the sound of her voice. “Is it because my mom died?” Raelle watched Scylla vehemently shake her head, but her fury did not hold back. “You thought I’d be a likely convert?” </p>
<p>“Do I look like I’m calling the shots around here?” Scylla screamed back as she pulled the chains tight again, trying to get to Raelle. “They didn’t tell me...”  </p>
<p>“You know what?” Raelle interrupted, her words like daggers and her aim was true. “I get it.” She shrugged, not even concealing the tears again. Goddess, she was sick of crying. She was sick of hurting. “I get it. I was the sickest, weakest gazelle in the herd. I was easy prey for you.” </p>
<p>“You have no idea how powerful you are.” Scylla’s eyes blazed as her voice dropped. It was true. It had always been true. That is why they wanted her. They wanted her power. Scylla would never let them have it. Even when she dies, the Spree will take Raelle’s power away. </p>
<p>“I don’t feel powerful.” Raelle’s voice cracked, “I feel broken. Thanks to you.” Her shoulders slumped at the admission. The fight had left Raelle. There was nothing left that Scylla could say. There was nothing left for her to do. The damage had been done. And this little exercise did no good for any of them. “I’m sorry we ever met, Scyl.” She turned back to the door, ready to leave and never come back. </p>
<p>“I chose you!” Scylla screamed as Raelle’s hand froze on the door, poised to knock. “I had orders to deliver you. I chose you instead of them. I chose you.” Scylla watched with horror as Raelle’s back stiffened but her fists connected with the door. <i>“Please!”</i> Her voice broke as she screamed through her tears. Raelle was walking away from her, taking every piece of Scylla with her.  </p>
<p>Raelle stopped in front of Quatermaine, her blue eyes full of anger. “That worked out really great, thanks a lot.” </p>
<p>Anacostia watched Raelle leave quickly, her face stoic as Scylla’s distraught screams echoed throughout the room.</p>
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